


Craving Coffee (making friends)

by Lyrishadow



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28932120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: When you prefer a particular type of coffee, and you must have it... you MUST have it...
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Craving Coffee (making friends)

**Author's Note:**

> (was meant to be a short piece... prompt "crave" from Tumblr)
> 
> WARNING: contains a general description of events from Mindoir

“Coffee,” she muttered to herself, checking over the other requisition orders, nothing else needed her signature or presence other than this coffee. This coffee was smoother, more fruity, with notes of wood, and… she trailed off in her thoughts with a sniff.   
“Ma’am?” Alenko stood to attention near the mess table.  
“Oh… relax… please.” Marley waved him to a chair. “They need me to go get an order put through on the citadel. It involves coffee. I need you to come with me, in case... Well.”   
“In case the same thing happens?” They hadn’t talked about the panic attack.  
“Yes in case I become a horrible mess and need you to scrape me off the surface... Again.” She sighed “I’m sorry, it’s not entirely in your job description.”   
“ I.. don’t mind helping you.” Alenko relaxed and sat down “But it might be better to take Liara or Ash or..”   
“ I.. “ Marley looked at her hands and shrugged “I trust you because Joker trusts you.”  
“That’s a lot. Thank you.” Kaidan ran a hand behind his neck, his usual action when he’s bothered by something.  
“ What’s wrong?”   
“You trust Joker?”  
“Yeah. He was… a good friend when I needed one the most. After Mindoir, I was not... “ Marley shook her head to clear her thoughts “ He was there.”   
“ I see.” Kaidan was considering what she said, Marley could see the little cogs moving in his brain “So coffee delivery huh?”   
“ Yes. Because I can’t stand the standard swill, though that is still there” she gestured to the cupboard “ for the crew who are used to it.”   
“Would you care to take a break at the cafe? Maybe if we plan a strategic retreat in the middle things won’t be quite so overwhelming?”   
“Alenko you are amazing!” Marley grinned up at him “I hadn’t even thought of that.”   
“ Uh.” Kaidan blushed, though this time Marley thought it was due to having been praised.  
“Commander” Joker’s voice cut through anything else Kaidan might have said, “ We are docked and you are cleared to go.”   
“No point delaying the inevitable.” Marley pulled a face as she slid her credentials into her picket  
They made their way to the market quarter where food supplies and food stalls littered the entirety of the block. Marley could already feel the panic starting, and that was not what she was wanting.   
“Commander?” Kaidan touched her arm and steered her towards the coffee vendors.  
Coffee from all corners of the galaxy - well, stimulating drinks which resembled coffee.  
“Ahem.” Marley cleared her throat “I am here for an order of coffee from Earth, from Brazil.”   
“Shepard?” the vendor asked, lifting his datapad frowning “You ordered whole beans?”  
“Yes I have my coffee grinder.” she fidgeted, trying to ignore the crowds at her back.   
“Then sign here, here, and mark here.” the man looked up at her “Only one other person orders beans from there, you are lucky he agreed to share.”   
“Admiral Hackett,” Marley said with a smirk.  
“Yes.” the vendor glanced at her surprised.  
“It’s ok he’s my adopted father I get my taste from him.”   
Kaidan reacted, much as she expected as he paused and turned. Well, it would make the coffee break interesting.  
The payment and agreed delivery to the Normandy was organized. Marley, still fighting that rising feeling of being trapped, managed to turn to Kaidan “Coffee shall we?”   
The cafe was out of the way, and quiet, as Kaidan had suggested. Marley managed to breathe and calm her nerves.  
“Out with it.” She finally said to Kaidan after they ordered.  
“What? Nothing… I..” Kaidan stuttered, he had been staring at her since she said Hacket was her adopted father.  
“I know you were surprised when I said who my father is,” Marley replied, sipping the dark brew the cafe’s barrister had bought her.   
“Alright, yes I was... A bit surprised..” Kaidan admitted, sipping his coffee, not as dark and with a hint of vanilla swirled into the frothy milk.  
“When they found me on Mindoir, it was not a good thing, I was a wreck. It took three soldiers to hold me down and sedate me.” Marley glanced at her hands. “When Admiral Hackett heard about this, he looked for someone who could help me.”   
Kaidan nodded, still staring at her like she had another head.  
“Stop staring at me Kaidan.” she laughed, accidentally using his first name.  
“Ah.” he shifted his gaze, meeting her eyes before staring at his coffee.  
“Shit sorry, I .. “ Marley sighed “Is it ok if I call you Kaidan?”  
“Yes.” he glanced up with a smile, “I think I would like that.”  
“ Alright,.So Hackett then got my file.” Marley glanced down “Look I suck at self-promotion so here: my file was full of commendations from school, awards for athletics, and for academics. I was school president for two years in a row. I had a marvelous family, a younger brother, and parents who did everything to make life good for us.”   
“I’m sorry Shepard, I know it can’t have been…” Kaidan paused “I know I sound like I pity you but I don’t I promise.”  
“Well I think I owe you the truth behind my panic disorder too.” She glanced at him “It’s ironic I have N7 and so on and still have an anxiety disorder that triggers in crowds.”   
“Not just in crowds?”   
“No. Not just in crowds, but I can distract myself with work, and I can distract myself in private but with crowds. Listen when the Batarians invaded, they destroyed everything that had been the colony. The entire place was on fire, there were screams, people being killed, people I knew… being dragged away.” Marley sighed again “ It was everywhere.”  
“Can I ask how you escaped?”  
“My brother. He told me to run. Screamed it in fact.” Marley lowered her head “I should have saved him.”  
“Marley, you were 16, I don’t think you could have saved him,” Kaidan replied, his voice gentle, he also used her first name. Marley noted it to herself quietly. She needed to be careful or she would get attached to him.  
“Yeah. I know. Anyhow, I ran, got a lot of scrapes and burns because - everything on fire, eventually I figured they were not around anymore and headed home.” Marley shook her head “Our farm was on fire, the barn… the house… My parent's bodies were in the yard.”  
“Your brother?”  
“I don’t know.” She shook her head “They never found his body.”   
“So how did Admiral Hackett get directly involved?”  
“They dropped me on Arcturus, in the med center.” she shook her head “It was fine while they sedated me, but I had to live past it so they stopped that or made it less. Anyhow he started to visit me, to try and get a read on me I guess.”  
“You were the only survivor they found.” Kaidan had read the files apparently.  
“Yeah. I was.”   
“Then he might have actually wanted to make sure you survived.” Kaidan replied, “I would.”  
“Yeah it was like that, he saw promise and what had happened, and tried to help. Did help. The years I spent with his care and going to school on the station - where I met Joker by the way - were very happy times. I was counseled by good counselors, in the end - none of what happened on Mindoir was my responsibility, I didn’t invite them in, and it isn’t my job to do anything but live my life.”  
“Now that does sound like Admiral Hackett.” Kaidan’s reply made her laugh.  
“Yeah, it does. He is strict in the military, but he was a good parent. He made space for me to exist and I will never forget it. He also officially adopted me so people could not make any accusations.”  
“Wow.” Kaidan was stunned “And you both like the same coffee?”  
“It’s all he ever bought, even then.” Marley’s grin turned serious as she sipped from her cup again.  
“Look I know it's a good story, and learning about your CO is cool, but leave out the fact I am connected to Hackett please, I just.. It will make things difficult.” Marley shook her head “He doesn’t play favorites when he’s working.”  
“When he’s not working?”   
“Then you better not mess with his kid?” Marley grinned “Story for another time.”  
“Yeah, thanks for telling me stuff.” He exhaled carefully “ You ok?”  
“I don’t know how I will be, but the trip to the elevator isn’t as bad when I know you have my back.”  
“Any time.” Kaidan’s reply made her smile again, dang it, he was good at making her feel relaxed and happy.   
“Thanks.” She finished her coffee, told the barrister what a fantastic job he had done and they headed back to the Normandy.


End file.
